Growing up with not only a father who ran an Exxon station, but also two older brothers both into classic Chevys, it seems only natural for David Bowen to carry on the family tradition, right? Well, on top of that being as true as the setting sun, the Virginia resident was also fortunate enough to marry an understanding and supportive wife, JoAnn. Not so long ago, when David hauled a bewildered '72 Chevy truck home (which he'd just sold a nice, same-era longbed in order to buy), his better half thought he was nuts--but in the long run, she was there every step of the way, through thick and thin, from start to finish. The combination of family support and inherent enthusiasm typically spells well thought-out, well-executed projects, and that's exactly what resulted from the Bowen's 14-month C-10 endeavor. From the get-go, the plan was to create a show-stopping driver, and that meant not only selecting the right pieces, but the right people to put those pieces in place.
David started by redoing the entire chassis himself. Suspension-wise, he went with Early Classic Enterprises hard parts, and Air Ride Technologies front and rear airbags. For the drivetrain, he wound up with a 383 stroker from local Covington, Virginia, engine builder Todd Fix, which he decided to throw a Turbo 350 automatic behind. To give the truck the modern look he wanted, Billet Specialties GTX-01 20-inch wheels were chosen and wrapped in BFGoodrich low-profile radials.
With the underpinnings complete, the truck was sent off to Wooding's Paint & Body in Roanoke for the forthcoming makeover. Along with some minor trim and accessory removal as well as the addition of a cowl-induction hood and rolled rear pan, Norwood Wooding and his crew meticulously brought new life to the Fleetside, which in the end resulted in a Jaguar Carnival Red finish. To top things off, Tom VanNortwick added the striping and accenting graphics.
Though a fender-bender en route from Tim's Custom Exhaust back home would cause a slight setback (apparently, Flowmaster 40 Series weren't enough to alert a fellow motorist), the '72 finally made its way to King's Auto Upholstery. Using an '88 Chevy truck split-bench and door panels from RodDoors, the inside of the truck's cab was transformed into a stylish setting with tan Soft Touch vinyl and Mercedes wool carpet. Billet accents, such as a Lecarra wheel, dash insert, and Lokar pedals offer nice finishing touches.
When all was said and done, JoAnn Bowen was not only convinced that her husband wasn't nuts after all, she wanted David to build her a classic Chevy truck of her very own! CT